Environment and climate change
2015 was a historic year for multilateralism and for sustainable development seeing the adoption in September of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the successful conclusion of the 21 Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) with an agreement on a multilateral legal framework.
World Water Day 2020 is about water and climate change… and human beings. Especially in these difficult times when the whole humanity is tackling the outbreak of Coronavirus, we realise the priceless value of the right to health and to other social and economic rights. We cannot have health without clean water. These are basic human rights, essential to survive, not only for humans but also for the whole planet Earth.
The EU is a global leader in climate action. Last December the European Council set the future direction of the Union: the EU will be climate-neutral by 2050. Environment and climate ministers met on 5 March, to exchange views on the European Green Deal and to work on the concrete steps needed to make net zero emissions in the EU a reality. Ministers discussed priority areas, encouraged a more resource efficient economy, and voiced out support for a just transition to climate neutrality.
The Arctic is warming at more than twice the global average. The Mediterranean is facing decreasing precipitation and increasing temperatures. The warming of the Baltic, Black and North Seas is happening at a big pace. The situation is alarming. It is urgent to strengthen the global response to the climate emergency. High Representative Josep Borrell chaired the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 January, where Ministers discussed ways to step up climate diplomacy. The EU is determined to help raise global ambition and will use all tools at its disposal to tackle the climate challenge.
I am excited that we agreed yesterday on an important milestone in the EU’s fight against climate change: we adopted the European Commission communication on the "EU Green Deal".
‘When climate disasters strike the EU is there to help’ – this is the theme of an EU campaign providing humanitarian aid to victims of natural and man-made disasters brought about by climate change. ‘El Niño brings despair, Andres brings repair’ states one of the captions used in the campaign, as Andres, a dedicated EU humanitarian aid worker, helps to provide immediate food assistance and livelihood opportunities to strengthen the resilience of communities affected by drought in Guatemala. This is just one example. But the EU is not only there to help in the aftermath of climate disasters. By bringing forward the European Green Deal, the EU commits to make Europe carbon neutral by 2050, and protect our natural habitat for years to come.
